Statues are back on Highland Street in Haliburton Village during Haliburton’s Downtown Sculpture exhibition.
The exhibition was put on pause last year. But the joint venture of the Haliburton BIA and Haliburton Sculpture Forest has again brought sculptors from around Ontario to show their work on the village’s main street.
“Haliburton is so much known for art, but you don’t necessarily see it on the main street,” said Jim Blake, curator of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest.
“It also is a way to connect the downtown with the sculpture forest,” Blake said. “[We] have thousands of visitors coming to the sculpture forest, and this is a connection of the two things as well.”
Each of six unique sculptures is for sale – in the past, some have been bought and donated to the sculpture forest. They’ll be in place on Highland Street until October 26.
Sculptures from around Ontario are represented this year. Mark Puigmarti, a blacksmith from Port Perry, is exhibiting an interactive sculpture called Art of Noise.
He forged the sculpture from an I-beam of metal.
“I wanted to create a custom piece that allows for interactive sound – just a fun piece,” Puigmarti said.
Viewers can hit a hanging shape similar to an xylophone to create music.
In front of Highland Street’s Rexall, Don Frost installed his sculpture, Depth. His creation, a twisted bronze shape with swoops and cut-outs used carbon fibre to shape Mylar film over fibre glass.
“It’s a spiritual experience,” Frost said. “It was built and analyzed as I went.”
Frost is an internationally-celebrated sculptor who has developed his practice since the age of six.
Four other artists, out of 29 entries, have work displayed on Highland Street.
Jennifer Kelly displays Take Flight in front of the Wind in the Willows; Eric Tardiff’s Parallel Composition is outside Glecoff’s Family Store; Robert Wehkamp’s Black Reflection is in front of Capturing Eden and Brett David is showing Athena on the corner of Highland and York Street.
For each artist, Blake is shooting a short video introduction of the sculpture and their creation instead of the usual launch celebration.
Each video will be available on the Haliburton Sculpture Forest website.
Blake said he was excited to gather sculptors in Haliburton once more.
“It’s so wonderful to see them – what’s even better for me is to get to meet the artist,” Blake said. “The fact that they have chosen to show their work here, that’s a real privilege.”
